The salary you need to afford the new Kia Tasman in South Africa

You will need to earn at least R73,130 per month to afford the new Kia Tasman on a finance plan, according to a calculation by TopAuto.

The Tasman is a highly-anticipated bakkie that the South Korean automaker promised our market almost two years ago.

It officially launched this month in three specifications – the LX, SX, and X-Pro – with prices starting at R679,995, R879,995, and R999,995, respectively.

All three versions are powered by a 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel engine that develops 154kW and 440Nm.

The base LX is rear-wheel-drive, while the SX and X-Pro have a four-wheel-drive system.

In all cases, the Tasman has an eight-speed automatic gearbox, and fuel consumption works out to an average of between 7.5l and 7.8l/100km.

The bakkie has a rear differential lock, and five driving modes called Eco, Sport, Normal, Tow, and X-Trek.

It has 252mm of ground clearance, a wading depth of 800mm, a towing capacity of 3,500kg, and a load carrying capacity over 1,000kg.

Standard equipment on the Kia includes automatic LED headlights and daytime running lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, cloth seats, a faux leather multifunction steering wheel, and automatic climate control.

The dashboard is dominated by a dual 12.3-inch digital driver display and infotainment screen, the latter of which supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

It also comes with driving aids such as cruise control, hill assist, six airbags, front and rear parking sensors, and a rearview camera.

Higher-end versions of the Tasman will then throw in nice-to-haves like artificial leather upholstery, electric front seats with heating and ventilation, a sunroof, tyre pressure monitoring, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot detection.

Each purchase comes with a 5-year/unlimited km warranty and a 6-year/90,000km service plan.

What you need to earn

We can use the following formula to work out the monthly payments on the new Kia:

• Car price – R679,995/R999,995
• Payment term – 60 terms (5 years)
• Interest – 10.25%
• Deposit – 0%
• Balloon – No balloon payment
• Extras – No optional extras

According to this, you’ll need to pay at least R14,626 per month for the LX, and up to R21,465 per month for the X-PRO.

Financial experts then recommend that you do not spend more than 20% of your gross monthly salary on vehicle payments.

This means you’ll need to earn anywhere from R73,130 per month to R107,325 per month to afford the Tasman on a finance plan.

Note that this figure does not account for insurance, fuel, and maintenance, which must all be factored into your budget.